TSA discovers loaded firearm at Corpus Christi International Airport

Corpus Christi, Tex. – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) discovered a loaded firearm in a carry-on bag at Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP) this morning at the security screening checkpoint.

TSA found the .38 Smith & Wesson revolver, loaded with five rounds, in a passenger’s carry-on bag during X-ray screening at the checkpoint. Per standard procedure, TSA alerted local law enforcement. The Corpus Christi Airport Police took possession of the weapon and arrested the passenger.

This is the fifth firearm TSA has found at the CRP checkpoint so far this year. A total of eight firearms were found at CRP checkpoints in calendar year 2017.

Firearms are not allowed in carry-on bags or through airport security checkpoints. Firearms can be transported in a checked bag that is declared to the airline at the ticket counter and properly packed in a locked, hard-sided container. Firearm parts, ammunition, and realistic replicas also are not allowed through security checkpoints, but can be transported in checked bags. Some airline policies for taking a firearm in a checked bag may differ from TSA’s, so we strongly suggest travelers contact their airline for specific firearm and ammunition policies and to check local laws related to the carrying and transport of firearms.

TSA found a record-breaking 3,957 firearms at airport security checkpoints around the country in 2017, a 17 percent increase over 2016.

TSA has the authority to levy a civil penalty of up to $13,000 against a passenger who brings a firearm to the checkpoint. The average penalty for a loaded firearm is about $4,000; the average for an unloaded firearm is about half that amount. Any determination about a criminal charge is up to law enforcement. For more information, visit the prohibited items and firearms and ammunition pages at tsa.gov.

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